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Paul Hartley believes some fine tuning rather than an influx of new faces will be enough to carry Celtic over the Premiership winning line.

After watching the pendulum swing his old side’s way in the title race, the former Hoops midfielder is convinced Neil Lennon’s squad is already well equipped for the challenge ahead.

A five-point lead over Rangers, who have a game in hand, is some welcome daylight for the champions who yesterday confirmed the signing of Ismaila Soro on a four-and-a-half-year deal from Israeli side Bnei Yehuda.

But Hartley is adamant the Parkhead club don’t require any transfer window sensations to achieve success on all fronts this term.

And he knows from experience. Hartley admits it took him five months to make a proper breakthrough at Celtic when he joined from Hearts in 2007.

Paul Hartley lifts title trophy as Celt in 2008 (Image: SNS Group)

Time, then, the champions don’t have if Lennon is expecting a signing to do damage in the title run-in.

Hartley said: “I believe Celtic already have more than enough at the club already without the need for a big name or marquee signing to be brought in before Friday.

“One of the big problems a club like Celtic is they won’t want to overload their squad.

“A huge bonus for them is having someone like Leigh Griffiths coming back into form and if he’s fit then Neil has a top quality striker at his disposal.

“He’s a huge asset alongside Odsonne Edouard and he’s one who Celtic really just can’t afford to lose.

(Image: SNS Group)

“But they have more than enough strength and dept at their disposal to believe they can achieve success and cope between now and the end of the season.

“It’s easy for people to look at the January transfer window and presume the big clubs will strengthen but it’s never been that simple.

“It’s about how much these type of players cost and where do you get them from.

“Celtic could be looking at a loan signing and they’ve been linked with the wide player at Bristol City, Niclas Eliasson, but they already have good wingers at the club in James Forrest and Mikey Johnston but maybe Neil believes he needs one more in just to give that extra option.”

Hartley was a Celtic player during season 2008-09 when they blew a lead over Rangers and were overhauled by their Old Firm rivals who lifted the title in Gordon Strachan’s last season at the club.

Some fans still believe the failure to sign Steven Fletcher from Hibs due to not meeting the Easter Road club’s valuation was a pivotal January window moment but Cove Rangers boss Hartley doesn’t buy that excuse and believes new faces can do more harm than good.

Paul Hartley (Image: Bill Murray/SNS Group)

“I don’t believe it was the lack of January recruitment which cost us the title in 2009. It was a close race between Rangers and ourselves which went right to the wire but we came up short.

“January is a difficult window to bring players in at the best of times at any level. It’s never easy to integrate a big signing into the team as the best players cost a lot of money and it’s normally players who aren’t playing with their clubs.

“So for Celtic to get a marquee signing in during this window would be extremely difficult.

“I remember my own experience when I move from Hearts to Celtic on the last day of the transfer window.

“It took me four or five months to try first of all to get into the team and in terms of getting up to speed.

“It can be so hard for new signings to get going in January and help with that push for a title.

“Some players need time to get adjusted and when I came in the expectations were very high.

“I was playing with top players and I was trying to fit into a different style from what I was used to at Hearts and that was a big thing for me coming into a club like Celtic.

“It wasn’t until the following season that I really managed to find my feet as the first five months were really tough even though I played. It was a tough period to come into a team which was winning every week, as daft as that sounds. But it was a different style of play and a different pressure. The pressure was greater, the change of environment and the pressure of every day in training. Then there are the demands of over 50,000 fans at home games and the huge travelling support, it was also about their expectations.”

Hartley is convinced the remaining two Old Firm games could be decisive and he also insists both men in the dugouts will drive their side’s all the way.

He said: “I believe Celtic have more strength and depth in their squad but I do still think it will go down to who comes out in the Old Firm games to decide who wins the title.

“There are two of them left and my personal opinion, I think it will come down to them.

“Lenny was a winner as a player and he’s no different as a manager.

(Image: Getty Images)

“I remember him as a player and the demands he had on us at Celtic when he was a coach.

“There was a fear factor with him but I’m sure it’s the same at Rangers where it’s not just about winning, it’s about winning well.

“There have been huge improvements at Rangers in terms of the quality of player and how the team plays.

“Steven Gerrard is a proven winner in terms of when he played so he has that mentality and he’ll ensure he keeps Rangers in the fight all the way until the death.

“Look at Hearts on Sunday, it was the old Hearts as far as I’m concerned. I team who showed that at Tynecastle that no visitor will get it their own way but Rangers are still well in the hunt.”